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The White Shadow Saga #1
The Stolen Moon of Londor
The era of peace among the elves, men, and dwarves comes to an end when one of Londor's twin moons disappears from the heavens. Without the moon's balancing effect, evil forces grow bold, and warfare, sickness, and chaos threaten life itself.
Hearing the prayers of desperation that ride on the violent winds, the ancient wizard Randor Miithra, servant to the elf-gods, takes it upon himself to mend the world he has sworn to protect. The task will not be an easy one, though, for the wizard, too, has begun to feel the effects of the world's imbalance. As Randor struggles to maintain some semblance of his powers, he meets a secretive band of colorful characters from all walks of life, drawn together by a common to find the stolen moon, whatever the cost. It does not take Randor and his motley company long to see that someone or something does not want the moon returned to the heavens.
The road is perilous...the stakes have never been greater...will they find victory...or will they only find their deaths?
Book I of The Stolen Moon of Londor
Book II of Shameless Wonders
Hearing the prayers of desperation that ride on the violent winds, the ancient wizard Randor Miithra, servant to the elf-gods, takes it upon himself to mend the world he has sworn to protect. The task will not be an easy one, though, for the wizard, too, has begun to feel the effects of the world's imbalance. As Randor struggles to maintain some semblance of his powers, he meets a secretive band of colorful characters from all walks of life, drawn together by a common to find the stolen moon, whatever the cost. It does not take Randor and his motley company long to see that someone or something does not want the moon returned to the heavens.
The road is perilous...the stakes have never been greater...will they find victory...or will they only find their deaths?
Book I of The Stolen Moon of Londor
Book II of Shameless Wonders
296 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2009
18 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
A.P. Stephens
8 books15 followersAward-winning fantasy author of THE WHITE SHADOW SAGA and OF THIEVES AND ELVES. Founder of Strike Four Studios.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 9, 2015
This was an okay book. It was the typical quest fantasy book. I felt the beginning was a little slow but the last half really picked up.
My biggest problem was the characters. I didn't bond with any, and I think the problem with this is there were just too many characters Stephen tried to portray therefore no one got any depth. It wasn't that bad but every character acted the same all the way through the book one one had any layers :(
I would read the second book to see where Stephens takes this in a heartbeat because it had something that kept me reading so I will look into it :)
My biggest problem was the characters. I didn't bond with any, and I think the problem with this is there were just too many characters Stephen tried to portray therefore no one got any depth. It wasn't that bad but every character acted the same all the way through the book one one had any layers :(
I would read the second book to see where Stephens takes this in a heartbeat because it had something that kept me reading so I will look into it :)
January 13, 2010
A great introduction into the world of fantasy for children and adults.
An excellent story that gets better with every chapter.
The land of Londor has much potential for other tales, and im sure they will be just as great.
Rated 5 star and fully deserved!!
An excellent story that gets better with every chapter.
The land of Londor has much potential for other tales, and im sure they will be just as great.
Rated 5 star and fully deserved!!
June 1, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/the-stol...
The Stolen Moon of Londor, A. P. Stephens’ first book in The White Shadow Saga, is a traditional high fantasy that follows a band of adventurers–elven, dwarvish, and wizardly–on a quest to recover a magical object that will restore their pseudo-medieval land to prosperity. In this case, the magical object is one of the twin moons, and the moon’s absence has lately allowed mysterious evil forces to terrorize the land of Londor’s law-abiding citizens (and, of course, to provide foes for our questing adventurers).
Sound familiar?
If you made a list of every fantasy stereotype from the last thirty years, you’ll likely find some form of it in The Stolen Moon of Londor (though dragons and unicorns have yet to make an appearance). This novel has it all: haughty elves; bumpkin humans; an arrogant, ignorant prince; a rogue with the heart of gold; a wise old wizard; aggressive mistrust between races; bloodthirsty werewolves; a mysteriously vanished object of power; dark, unfathomable forces of undiluted evil… I could go on. Interestingly, the lone dwarf character in The Stolen Moon acts more like a hobbit than a dwarf–but even so, hobbits are not exactly a cutting-edge invention in fantasy these days.
Although Stephens does little to distinguish his fantasy races from their many appearances in other novels, Stephens does change up the story in one significant way by making the quest object a moon. This choice lends the novel a mythic quality, as the characters are not chasing some small magical sword or orb, but instead something so large it’s nearly impossible to imagine how someone could have stolen it at all. I wish that the other clichés were as deftly re-imagined.
Too many main characters
There is no one protagonist in this novel. There aren’t even two or three protagonists. Instead, The Stolen Moon of Londor gives an equal spotlight in a relatively short book to all nine of its adventurers; in fact, in some unfortunate cases, the viewpoint character changes even within the same paragraph. Because of this, many scenes lack focus and emotional punch even when it’s clear that there is potential for emotion in the event.
It’s also difficult to connect to any of the characters, who often feel one-dimensional and underdeveloped. Apart from Prince Arnanor, however, who remains shallow the entire time, most of the characters are strengthened over the course of the novel. Hopefully this indicates that the next book in the series, Shameless Wonders, will do a better job of developing the characters and representing them believably and emotionally.
Traditional style of writing
For the most part, the prose strives for that kind of lyrical formality found in older fantasy epics–at its best in the work of Tolkien; at its worst in every fantasy spoof you’ve ever read. At first I was surprised that Stephens had decided to go this stylistic route at all, since most fantasy writers today choose a lighter, contemporary tone, but Stephens’ traditional style suits the novel’s mythic and traditional structure. As for how well the novel achieves this goal of lyrical formality… well, it often succeeds quite handily, but at other times the novel descends into convoluted, awkward, and presumably unintentional hilarity.
The dialogue between the characters occasionally feels wooden, and their motivations are sometimes too obviously and bluntly made explicit in conversation. The dialogue especially suffers when it happens between villains and the protagonists; some of the villains are not particularly menacing and instead come across as goofy evil henchmen when they explain their plans to the adventurers. On the plus side, though, Stephens does a killer job with battle scenes, where the formal style disappears and our valiant adventures can get down to beating the crap out of baddies.
Why should you read this book?
The Stolen Moon of Londor is an uneven attempt at an epic adventure fantasy in the style of genre books from a decade or two ago. If you’ve missed the past few years’ lack of merry bands of warriors seeking magical objects, then reading this book may feel like you’re coming home again. The writing and character development, however, leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the book’s final chapters leave me hope that the series may improve as the author continues developing his craft.
The Stolen Moon of Londor, A. P. Stephens’ first book in The White Shadow Saga, is a traditional high fantasy that follows a band of adventurers–elven, dwarvish, and wizardly–on a quest to recover a magical object that will restore their pseudo-medieval land to prosperity. In this case, the magical object is one of the twin moons, and the moon’s absence has lately allowed mysterious evil forces to terrorize the land of Londor’s law-abiding citizens (and, of course, to provide foes for our questing adventurers).
Sound familiar?
If you made a list of every fantasy stereotype from the last thirty years, you’ll likely find some form of it in The Stolen Moon of Londor (though dragons and unicorns have yet to make an appearance). This novel has it all: haughty elves; bumpkin humans; an arrogant, ignorant prince; a rogue with the heart of gold; a wise old wizard; aggressive mistrust between races; bloodthirsty werewolves; a mysteriously vanished object of power; dark, unfathomable forces of undiluted evil… I could go on. Interestingly, the lone dwarf character in The Stolen Moon acts more like a hobbit than a dwarf–but even so, hobbits are not exactly a cutting-edge invention in fantasy these days.
Although Stephens does little to distinguish his fantasy races from their many appearances in other novels, Stephens does change up the story in one significant way by making the quest object a moon. This choice lends the novel a mythic quality, as the characters are not chasing some small magical sword or orb, but instead something so large it’s nearly impossible to imagine how someone could have stolen it at all. I wish that the other clichés were as deftly re-imagined.
Too many main characters
There is no one protagonist in this novel. There aren’t even two or three protagonists. Instead, The Stolen Moon of Londor gives an equal spotlight in a relatively short book to all nine of its adventurers; in fact, in some unfortunate cases, the viewpoint character changes even within the same paragraph. Because of this, many scenes lack focus and emotional punch even when it’s clear that there is potential for emotion in the event.
It’s also difficult to connect to any of the characters, who often feel one-dimensional and underdeveloped. Apart from Prince Arnanor, however, who remains shallow the entire time, most of the characters are strengthened over the course of the novel. Hopefully this indicates that the next book in the series, Shameless Wonders, will do a better job of developing the characters and representing them believably and emotionally.
Traditional style of writing
For the most part, the prose strives for that kind of lyrical formality found in older fantasy epics–at its best in the work of Tolkien; at its worst in every fantasy spoof you’ve ever read. At first I was surprised that Stephens had decided to go this stylistic route at all, since most fantasy writers today choose a lighter, contemporary tone, but Stephens’ traditional style suits the novel’s mythic and traditional structure. As for how well the novel achieves this goal of lyrical formality… well, it often succeeds quite handily, but at other times the novel descends into convoluted, awkward, and presumably unintentional hilarity.
The dialogue between the characters occasionally feels wooden, and their motivations are sometimes too obviously and bluntly made explicit in conversation. The dialogue especially suffers when it happens between villains and the protagonists; some of the villains are not particularly menacing and instead come across as goofy evil henchmen when they explain their plans to the adventurers. On the plus side, though, Stephens does a killer job with battle scenes, where the formal style disappears and our valiant adventures can get down to beating the crap out of baddies.
Why should you read this book?
The Stolen Moon of Londor is an uneven attempt at an epic adventure fantasy in the style of genre books from a decade or two ago. If you’ve missed the past few years’ lack of merry bands of warriors seeking magical objects, then reading this book may feel like you’re coming home again. The writing and character development, however, leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the book’s final chapters leave me hope that the series may improve as the author continues developing his craft.
June 9, 2012
When A. P. Stephens first contacted me regarding his book, I was very interested in checking out his first book in The White Shadow Saga, The Stolen Moon of Londor. I am very much a fantasy reader and lover and this book sounded intriguing. Is it ever! I enjoyed listening to it from start to finish and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the paperback to read through it again.
In my opinion, The Stolen Moon of Londor ranks right up there with some of my other favorite fantasy reads: Terry Brooks, Tolkien, Terry Goodkind... Stephens is great at giving a lot of vivid detail without becoming so involved that you lose sight of the story. As any good quest would have, there are many different characters, with varying personalities and talents, involved in this adventure to recover the stolen moon. Oh, and how about that for a fresh, new idea in fantasy? I am still anxious to find out where this story is going after the first book--how does one steal a moon, after all, even in a fantasy novel? But back to the characters--obviously they are not yet fully developed as this is only the first book in the saga, but already I can see that there will likely be some surprises along the way with this group. I can't even say that I have a favorite character yet, though I expect that to change as I continue reading the saga.
As far as audiobooks go, I have to admit I have never been too keen on listening to involved stories, because I worry that I will miss something. I was surprised at how easily I was able to follow and keep up with the events that were transpiring. I think it helps that Stephens does not get too involved in various events--the battle scenes are descriptive without becoming too bogged down, the world and events are presented in great detail without being wordy... In short, this book is well-written and to the point; there's not a lot of fluff here. The only thing I thought was missing was a more detailed account of the world of Londor itself. I didn't always find that I could picture it in my head, and perhaps that is something that will change when I reread the book as opposed to listening to it, I can't be sure.
I am most definitely looking forward to continuing The White Shadow Saga and anxiously await the publication of the second book. I would think that any reader who shares my affinity to fantasy works would enjoy Stephens' book and I urge you to check it out!
In my opinion, The Stolen Moon of Londor ranks right up there with some of my other favorite fantasy reads: Terry Brooks, Tolkien, Terry Goodkind... Stephens is great at giving a lot of vivid detail without becoming so involved that you lose sight of the story. As any good quest would have, there are many different characters, with varying personalities and talents, involved in this adventure to recover the stolen moon. Oh, and how about that for a fresh, new idea in fantasy? I am still anxious to find out where this story is going after the first book--how does one steal a moon, after all, even in a fantasy novel? But back to the characters--obviously they are not yet fully developed as this is only the first book in the saga, but already I can see that there will likely be some surprises along the way with this group. I can't even say that I have a favorite character yet, though I expect that to change as I continue reading the saga.
As far as audiobooks go, I have to admit I have never been too keen on listening to involved stories, because I worry that I will miss something. I was surprised at how easily I was able to follow and keep up with the events that were transpiring. I think it helps that Stephens does not get too involved in various events--the battle scenes are descriptive without becoming too bogged down, the world and events are presented in great detail without being wordy... In short, this book is well-written and to the point; there's not a lot of fluff here. The only thing I thought was missing was a more detailed account of the world of Londor itself. I didn't always find that I could picture it in my head, and perhaps that is something that will change when I reread the book as opposed to listening to it, I can't be sure.
I am most definitely looking forward to continuing The White Shadow Saga and anxiously await the publication of the second book. I would think that any reader who shares my affinity to fantasy works would enjoy Stephens' book and I urge you to check it out!
March 15, 2010
There were a lot of things I liked about the novel. First thing being there was enough action in it to keep so many different types of readers satisfied. Sword fighting, paranormal creature-battles, magic-wielding, army-size battles, etc are abundant throughout the chapters. Some scenes definitely grabbed my attention and didn't let me go until the characters had a chance to breathe!
I also really enjoyed the creative world of Londor itself. Londor is a huge world inhabited by dwarfs, wizards, elves, and humans that is basically at the mercy of all those who battle on her lands. I was in awe of the inspiration that had to have hit the author to come up with some of the names, word usage, character background, and map-layout (which is partly included in the novel). As I was reading I kept thinking, "Where did A.P. Stephens come up with this stuff." Authors who can create entire new worlds for their readers deserve a great deal of respect and admiration and this author created a world I haven't been inside of before.
The writing style was overall pretty easy to follow. Although I did have a tough time getting into the story at the beginning. The number of characters and the abundance of "background" information didn't shock me since THE STOLEN MOON OF LONDOR is the first book in a planned series. However, I found myself not being able to connect with any of the characters really. All of the characters, villains included, have their strong points and their weaknesses. Strong points being the contrast between some of the characters. Some were extremely easy to both dislike and like personality wise. No two characters are alike, which is nice to have. The weaknesses vary from not enough information given by the author, to poor development overall. Either way, I am definitely looking forward to Londor's characters coming alive more in the next installment.
I think fantasy fans will enjoy this whether they are hardcore epic fantasy readers or not. THE STOLEN MOON OF LONDOR has a unique plot that I have yet to see around and it definitely makes me want more of the world and the characters in it. And yes, a moon is "stolen" or missing...I just have to know what happened to it!
I also really enjoyed the creative world of Londor itself. Londor is a huge world inhabited by dwarfs, wizards, elves, and humans that is basically at the mercy of all those who battle on her lands. I was in awe of the inspiration that had to have hit the author to come up with some of the names, word usage, character background, and map-layout (which is partly included in the novel). As I was reading I kept thinking, "Where did A.P. Stephens come up with this stuff." Authors who can create entire new worlds for their readers deserve a great deal of respect and admiration and this author created a world I haven't been inside of before.
The writing style was overall pretty easy to follow. Although I did have a tough time getting into the story at the beginning. The number of characters and the abundance of "background" information didn't shock me since THE STOLEN MOON OF LONDOR is the first book in a planned series. However, I found myself not being able to connect with any of the characters really. All of the characters, villains included, have their strong points and their weaknesses. Strong points being the contrast between some of the characters. Some were extremely easy to both dislike and like personality wise. No two characters are alike, which is nice to have. The weaknesses vary from not enough information given by the author, to poor development overall. Either way, I am definitely looking forward to Londor's characters coming alive more in the next installment.
I think fantasy fans will enjoy this whether they are hardcore epic fantasy readers or not. THE STOLEN MOON OF LONDOR has a unique plot that I have yet to see around and it definitely makes me want more of the world and the characters in it. And yes, a moon is "stolen" or missing...I just have to know what happened to it!
May 13, 2012
Done reading! The story ends with a cliffhanger .... UGH .... So I started book two ..... Shameless Wonders. And I hope ... well I don't know what I hope. Just as I have yet to decide on how to write this review.
Did I like it .... Kind of!
Why ? .... story is interesting.
Why not? I am not sure if I didn't.
This story was definitely written in an off beat writing style. And there is nothing wrong with that. You just have to get used to it.
Aaron Stephens' writing style is - to say the least - old fashioned, at times bombastic, at times prosaic .... never really dull .... Some passages are really great! Those are the ones that got me through the book. Some passages ... well .... Especially the ones dealing with the characters ... well ,,,,, and there are many characters, believe me. Many are not very likable. Some are truly arrogant to the point of annoyance, others are simply - just there. Other just seem obsolete - The great wizard has lost his magic strength ... but has no real charisma either. Captain Cailen ... is probably one of the characters I hope to see more of in book II. The prince, his brother and their knight are downright a bunch you want to shoot all the time. Haughty, borderline mean, snobbish ... name it that prince has it all. Muron, the little brother, oh well, he's a whiner. His knight and protector a weenie .. even if it is an honorable one. All in all, it wasn't that terrible of a book. I started book II ... so .... The writing style definitely needs getting used too .Battle scenes are quite good and well described. I have not read stories written in such an old fashioned, dense, highly structured, and pompous style in a long time. Yet I think this writer will get better. A lot better. I hope that in book the characters will develop more. Other than that .... Maybe a little more humor, a little more politics .... I'd like to finish book II and refer back to this review and notice the added depth in the writing style.
Did I like it .... Kind of!
Why ? .... story is interesting.
Why not? I am not sure if I didn't.
This story was definitely written in an off beat writing style. And there is nothing wrong with that. You just have to get used to it.
Aaron Stephens' writing style is - to say the least - old fashioned, at times bombastic, at times prosaic .... never really dull .... Some passages are really great! Those are the ones that got me through the book. Some passages ... well .... Especially the ones dealing with the characters ... well ,,,,, and there are many characters, believe me. Many are not very likable. Some are truly arrogant to the point of annoyance, others are simply - just there. Other just seem obsolete - The great wizard has lost his magic strength ... but has no real charisma either. Captain Cailen ... is probably one of the characters I hope to see more of in book II. The prince, his brother and their knight are downright a bunch you want to shoot all the time. Haughty, borderline mean, snobbish ... name it that prince has it all. Muron, the little brother, oh well, he's a whiner. His knight and protector a weenie .. even if it is an honorable one. All in all, it wasn't that terrible of a book. I started book II ... so .... The writing style definitely needs getting used too .Battle scenes are quite good and well described. I have not read stories written in such an old fashioned, dense, highly structured, and pompous style in a long time. Yet I think this writer will get better. A lot better. I hope that in book the characters will develop more. Other than that .... Maybe a little more humor, a little more politics .... I'd like to finish book II and refer back to this review and notice the added depth in the writing style.
March 6, 2010
The Stolen Moon of Londor is the debut novel and the first book in The White Shadow Saga trilogy. There are two things why I want to read the sequel: I really want to know who stole the moon and how it was done. And will there be a development of the characters.
If you like travel quests with original ideas and manageable length you should give The Stolen Moon of Londor a try.
Read my full review over at Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
If you like travel quests with original ideas and manageable length you should give The Stolen Moon of Londor a try.
Read my full review over at Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
March 21, 2010
A.P. Stephens has crafted a highly enjoyable fantasy tale of men, elves, dwarves, wizards, mercenaries and various other types of characters. His story telling style is excitingly different from most other fantasy authors. It comes across as a fireside tale which draws the reader in and holds your attention throughout each action filled chapter.
This up and coming author has done extremely well with his freshman offering. This is book 1 of 3 and I for one cannot wait to see book two. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.
October 13, 2011
I found this book enjoyable, yet a little disjointed and confusing in parts. I would often get some of the characters confused in some of the scenes as I couldn't keep them straight because there were a few too many all mashed together with only a little development.
This story could do with some further development of the characters and perhaps some more introduction to each of the characters individually so we can better distinguish them apart.
It didn't detract from the story too much, though, as I still plan on reading the second installment.
Thanks A.P Stephens for the tale.
This story could do with some further development of the characters and perhaps some more introduction to each of the characters individually so we can better distinguish them apart.
It didn't detract from the story too much, though, as I still plan on reading the second installment.
Thanks A.P Stephens for the tale.
October 17, 2016
The book is about an epic quest to recover a missing moon to save a world and it's people from being destroyed/killed. There are plenty of characters that display the wide range of species that occupy this world, i.e. dwarves, elves, humans, etc. If you have ever read. the book or seen the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, this is what it would remind you of. There is plenty of action, intrigue, and puzzles to occupy you as you read the story. There are several twists and turns in the book that will catch you by surprise. This is an interesting book to read.
April 13, 2011
The characters felt really underdeveloped -- I think it was just hard for the author to juggle so many at once. I wish he had picked one or two characters and focused on them, rather than following all nine adventurers simultaneously. I also found the writing to be a little stiff in places.
The stolen moon is still a good idea, though, and I'll read the second to find out who did it.
The stolen moon is still a good idea, though, and I'll read the second to find out who did it.
August 26, 2012
c2009. Oh dear. I just could not get past the archaic grammar. I think I know why it was used but after the scene where the young elf is so whiney and to his superior to boot, I could not get through anymore. Sorry - just not for me, I'm afraid.
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April 17, 2019it was a good book. However I was not as happy when I can not get the next book in line, So it is not worth reading if you can not continue the books.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews